In the past, surgical-type garments were designed primarily to maintain antiseptic and sterile conditions in operating and emergency rooms. The patient's health was paramount. Surgical gowns and smocks were intended to protect the patient from germs of the surgeon and his or her clothing, but were not overly protective of all parts of the body of the wearer from blood splatter. These smocks normally extended from below the knee to just below the neck of operating personnel. Cloth hats were worn to guard against hair and dandruff fallout.
With the advent of HIV, hepatitis, and other blood contact transmission-type diseases, the focus of garment design is shifting. It is now very important, not only to protect the patient, but also to protect the surgeon and other operating personnel from coming into contact with the blood of the patient.
Despite the greater awareness on the part of surgeons and support staff, blood contact is all too common. It is, therefore, necessary to design hospital garments with greater protection to guard against inadvertent blood and fluid contact.
The present invention reflects the discovery that present hospital garments are not fully protective of hospital personnel. The neck area, particularly, has never been covered by these garments, unless one was wearing a "space" suit of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,216, issued to Blackburn et al, on Apr. 9, 1991, for SELF-VENTILATING PROTECTIVE GARMENT. Typical surgical gowns leave the neck completely open, and subject to inadvertent blood splattering.
The present invention is a neck-protecting garment to be used in conjunction with surgical gowns and smocks. The protector is shaped like a collar having an extended bib, and comprises a blood-shielding, light-weight, multi-layered cloth. The outer layer of the collar features a soft, repellent material, such as is used in operating room gowns. The innermost layers is a polypropylene liner, which wicks moisture away from the neck. A spongy foam layer in the collar provides softness and comfort to the wearer. This spongy layer assists in maintaining the shape of the collar. An intermediate layer, of interface material, disposed between the spongy layer and the outer layer, acts as an interface and provides added support and shape-definition, similar to the backing found in dress shirts. The collar is adjustable to many different neck sizes, to accommodate different surgeons, from between approximately 13 and 19 inches. The adjustability is accomplished by mating VELCRO.RTM. strips that are respectively sewn into the neck protector at distal ends thereof.
The neck protector of the current invention is designed to be a supplemental piece of clothing for the normal or typical surgical gown, so that it can be optionally worn by hospital and surgical staff. It is also contemplated, however, that it can be combined as one piece with a surgical gown or smock during the fabrication stage.